Leave It All Behind
by TessaStarDean
Summary: AU End of S5. Jack doesn't go to China. JackChloe fluff.


Jack closed his eyes as CTU agents swarmed around him. Logan had been exposed and arrested, and the horrors of the day were finally coming to an end. He tried not to think about Palmer or Michelle or Tony, knowing that doing so would break him and bring him to his knees.

Refusing to think about those friends he had lost forced Jack to think about the friends he had left – and that meant Chloe. The relief he had felt when she ran into his arms that morning was indescribable. The only thing he had wanted at that moment was to hold her as tightly as he could and never let go. But the world they lived in didn't afford them such luxuries, and they had had to part.

Now Jack found himself wondering how she was. He wasn't' the only one who had lost friends that day, and he could still see the pain etched on her face as she watched Edgar die. Making up his mind, he turned to find someone who could take him back to CTU.

"Jack?"

He turned in surprise to see Audrey standing behind him. Truth be told, he had forgotten all about her. He struggled to put a smile on his face, knowing that the coming conversation wasn't going to be easy.

"Hi, Audrey."

"You did it," she breathed, smiling. "You stopped them."

Jack nodded. "I had help."

She reached out then, gently taking his hand in hers. "And you're safe now. You can come home."

Something of what he was thinking must have shown on his face. Audrey's smile faded, though she didn't let go of his hand yet.

"You are coming home…aren't you, Jack?"

He dropped his gaze to the ground, and let her hand fall from his. "Not with you," he said quietly.

Tears built in Audrey's eyes, and she looked everywhere but at him, trying so hard to get herself under control. "Jack…"

He wouldn't – couldn't – let her finish. "It wouldn't work, and we both know that. You ended things for a reason, Audrey."

"I was angry. My husband had just died –"

"We're from two different worlds, Audrey. I was never comfortable in yours, and you don't even want to admit that mine exists." He watched as her bottom lip quivered. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

She nodded, knowing from the resolve in his voice that there was nothing she could say or do that would make him change her mind. Without meeting his eyes again, Audrey turned and walked away, slightly dazed from what had just happened. Jack grabbed the nearest CTU agent and asked him to make sure she made it home alright.

Knowing that he had done everything he could for her, Jack turned and disappeared into the crowd.

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Chloe breathed a sigh of relief when Morris finally left her to go to the bathroom. Since the moment the crisis had been averted, he had hovered over her, asking her if she was alright, if she wanted to go somewhere and talk. But Chloe didn't want to talk – and especially not to him. She knew, though, that she was vulnerable at the moment, and that if Morris found a way to get back into her life, she wouldn't have the strength to push him away again.

While she tried to think of ways to get rid of him, she focused on packing up her things. The only thing Chloe really wanted to do was get away from CTU – to get away from the memories of everything she had lost, everything those close to her had lost. Her reports were filed, her computer shut down, and she was ready to leave.

Looking up, a familiar face caught her eye, and she froze. She had been sure that he wouldn't come back, that he would disappear somewhere with Audrey and she wouldn't hear from him again until he needed her help. But there he was, standing there, staring at her as though the rest of the world didn't exist.

Chloe glanced behind her, and she saw Morris coming out of the bathroom. She knew right then that she had to make a decision, and that it would change everything. If she stayed, she knew exactly what would happen…if she left, she had no idea what was in store for her.

Taking a deep breath, Chloe picked up her purse and turned away from Morris and from CTU. She kept her eyes locked on him as she crossed the floor, and as he smiled at her, Chloe couldn't help but return the gesture.

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_**Six months later…**_

When Chloe got home, she was surprised to see that all the lights were off. She frowned as she moved through the apartment quietly, searching. Finally coming to the master bedroom, she smiled. Jack was standing on the balcony, staring out over the busy Paris street below. Quietly, she came up behind him, slipping her hand into his as she joined him.

"Hey," he said, a broad smile on his face. Tugging on her hand, he moved her to stand in front of him, so that he could pull her back against his chest and wrap his arms around her waist. "Did you have a good day?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "If you think sitting through stupid endless meetings can be good…"

Jack chuckled. "You only have to go in once a month, Chloe. Otherwise they let you work from home and leave you alone."

"Thank God for that," she muttered. "What about you? How was your day?"

"Good. We finished the house over on the Rue de Lune."

Chloe couldn't help but smile. "The great Jack Bauer, former CTU agent, now a construction worker."

He shrugged. "I like to work with my hands. And nobody tries to kill me anymore."

"A definite plus," she agreed.

Jack hesitated, turning Chloe around until she was facing him. "I talked to Bill Buchanan today."

She frowned. "What? Why?"

"He wanted me to know that Kim was looking for me."

Chloe stopped, her breath catching. "Really?"

Jack nodded. "He wanted to check with me before giving her my number."

"Did she call? Did you talk to her?"

"Yes and yes."

"And?" she asked impatiently.

He couldn't help but smile at her tone. "She's coming out here. Next week."

Chloe reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him tight. Jack closed his eyes, breathing her in. "I told her about us," he murmured.

She pulled back, watching him warily. "And?"

He took her face in his hands and kissed her deeply. "And she's happy for us, Chloe," he said quietly.

She smiled up at him nervously. "So next week, huh?"

"Next week."

Chloe nodded before kissing him again. Then she took one of his hands and gently led him back into their bedroom.


End file.
